AS WE lounge in our heated indoor pool, sipping cocktails and
speculating about what our chef might be cooking for dinner, we realise
we have found the formula for the perfect holiday.

We love going away, but hate the fuss and formality of hotels.
Villas are fine but one person often ends up doing all the work - buying
food, booking restaurants and organising the fun - and it's usually
me.

A new service aims to solve that, by doing the donkey work for you.
Oliver's Travels offers stays in beautiful homes, plus an optional
concierge service to see to your every need - from organising taxis and
shopping, to activities and chefs who come and cook for you.

We decided to try it out with a short break in Dartmoor. The luxury
company offers worldwide did not disappoint.

Puggiestone House is a natural charmer. This beautiful,
seven-bedroomed country manor near Chagford has a heated indoor pool and
sauna, and is surrounded by gardens and its own wood leading down to a
river.

It is within the Dartmoor National Park, deep in the Devon
countryside, but Exeter, with its range of shops, restaurants and
galleries, is just a 30-minute drive away.

Our bedroom features a walk-in wardrobe the size of our bedroom at
home, a bathroom with a television perched on the wall and a sitting
room with a sofa and swivel armchairs, so you can admire the views from
every window.

There is a well-stocked library, sun room and even a tree-house
bolthole you can retreat to and read a book, or just enjoy the view.

There are many walks from the house and half a mile up the road is
the exclusive Gidleigh Park hotel, run by well-known hotelier Paul
Shanahan.

No one wants to cook so a company called Dine Indulge provides a
chef who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants. After a long walk
and a swim on the first day, we come down to a beautifully laid table,
wine chilling and a menu that includes steamed fillet of fresh sea bass,
and pistachio and rose water marshmallow. Everything is taken care of,
from the wine to the washing up.

Beyond the property, there's plenty to explore.

The next morning we decide to try a taste of Dartmoor life, so
Oliver's Travels arranges a trip to Parke, a National Trust estate
near Bovey Tracey.

It offers 250 acres of woodland and wildlife for walkers, English
apple orchards, working apple presses and fields of Dartmoor ponies that
help bring the apples from the orchards.

The award-winning Home Farm Cafe in Parke's grounds serves
Ashburton lamb, Dartmoor pork and Devon duck, with ingredients sourced
from cafe owner Nick Smith's nearby farm. Great a value at PS12 a
dish.

The heated My husband Carson wants to try foraging, so
Oliver's Travels finds us an expert forager who takes us hiking
across Dartmoor, where we learn about natural remedy plants, wild herbs
and how to make delicious sloe brandy. During our trek, the rain sets in
and we discover the moors can be tough terrain. If you try it, take
waterproof jackets, trousers and hats.

We are relieved to get back to the comfort and luxury of our villa,
cast off our soggy clothes and dive into our warm pool.

Our final night's feast is as good as our first, with the same
cheerful chef offering five courses, ranging from succulent slow roasted
local lamb to chocolate mousse with strawberries.

The weekend goes fast and we leave relaxed and rested. It feels
like having your own country home, with staff on hand if needed.
Oliver's Travels offers everything from apartments and city pads to
villas and chateaux. Some customers prefer to do their own organising,
but the company's concierge service certainly suited us - my first
holiday where I didn't have to pick up a tea towel!

NEED TO KNOW | Oliver's Travels (oliverstravels.

com; 020 3637 0999) offers apartments and villas across Europe and
the Caribbean.

| A week at Puggiestone House, which sleeps 14, starts at PS4,293.
For more information on the destination, go to visitdevon.co.uk | Here
are three more properties to try...

Built 200 years ago, the Landscove Barns complex in Devon sleeps
12-20 in six bedrooms. A three-night stay costs PS3,500 between December
29-January 5. Set on a clifftop with direct access to the beach, Meadow
Manor in Norfolk sleeps 14 in seven bedrooms and costs PS2,812 for three
nights between December 31 and January 2. If you're prepared to
splash out, Braehead Estate in Ayrshire, Scotland has 18 bedrooms and
just as many bathrooms, all set within 250 acres of private land.

The cost? Three nights (for up to 24 guests) for PS25,200 over the
festive and New Year period.

Everything was taken care of at this beautiful manor, from the wine
to the washing up

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